


Garden of the Gods

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2018 [22]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Constellations, Established Relationship, Multi, OT4, Post Episode: s05e20 Enemy at the Gate, Prompt Fill, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 10:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14735327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Astrology/Astronomy prompt:Stargate, any, explaining Earth constellations to an alienIn which John and his team are temporarily stranded on Earth, and take time out for some Milky Way stargazing and Ray Harryhausen appreciation.





	Garden of the Gods

**Author's Note:**

> Also written for the [New Horizons Challenge](https://ushobwri.dreamwidth.org/2018/05/02/) at You Should Be Writing.

The night sky stretched overhead like an inky canvas, stars glittering and glimmering like a reflection of the lights down in Colorado Springs. In the distance Pike’s Peak seemed to glow. There were a lot of downsides to being stuck on Earth, but John decided lying on a blanket with his team while they contemplated the enormity of the Milky Way galaxy out from under the watchful eye of the SGC wasn’t one of them.

“Those five stars there that form a kind of W? That’s Cassiopeia.” Rodney traced the shape with his finger for Ronon and Teyla’s benefit. “She was a queen who thought she was better than everyone, even the gods, so they punished her.”

“Did they smite her?” Ronon wanted to know.

John chuckled. “Smiting is more a Bible kind of thing.” He was lying between Rodney and Teyla, both of them warm and familiar. Ronon was on Rodney’s other side.

“How was she punished?” Teyla asked.

“The gods sent a monster,” Rodney said. “And she had to sacrifice her daughter.”

“Did they give her no other options?”

“Nope,” John said, picking up the story. “If the princess wasn’t sacrificed then the Kraken would destroy the entire city.”

“Kraken? That’s not what it was.” Rodney leaned up on his elbow and looked down at John. “You’re confusing actual mythology with that stupid movie.”

“It’s not a stupid movie,” John protested. “Picture it, you guys. The princess was chained to a cliff wall right at the edge of the sea, waiting for the Kraken to come get her.”

“What kind of monster is that?” Ronon asked. He’d also leaned up to look at John, one arm draped across Rodney’s hip. 

“Strong tail for swimming, because it lived in the water. Scales. Webbed hands with talons on them. Tall as the control tower.”

“It seems unbeatable,” Teyla said.

“I think you mean stupid,” Rodney replied. “While I admit the Harryhausen effects were good for their time, it still doesn’t –”

John squeezed Rodney’s thigh, a much more effective way to cut into one of his rants. Rodney stopped talking, though he did make a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. John didn’t move his hand.

“It would’ve been unbeatable,” John continued. “But the hero Perseus flew in on his winged horse and saved her.”

“That’s the Pegasus,” Rodney interjected, his tone daring John to cut him off again.

“The beast that gave its name to our galaxy,” Teyla said. She slid her hand into John’s and he twisted their fingers together. He knew she was missing home. They all were.

Ronon snorted. “One man on a flying horse? How does he beat such a creature? Did he have a blaster?”

“He had something better,” John said. “He had the head of Medusa, a woman cursed by the gods to have snakes for hair. One look from her could turn any living thing to stone. He turned Medusa’s head on the Kraken and saved the princess.”

Ronon nodded, a pleased smile on his face. “That’s a good weapon. How did he get the head?”

Rodney groaned and dropped his head on John’s shoulder. “You’re going to tell the whole movie, aren’t you?”

“Do you know all the constellations?” John countered. 

Rodney lifted his head and glared. “Hello? Astrophysicist.”

“Good. You can point them out while I tell the story.”

“Or we could just watch the movie.”

“I like this better,” Teyla said.

Ronon murmured something in Rodney’s ear that had him fighting a smile. “Fine,” he agreed. 

John could well imagine what Ronon must’ve said, though it was nothing they could act on till they were back in the City. Until then, it was nice out there under the stars, just the four of them. He gave Rodney’s thigh another squeeze, though it turned into more of a caress. 

“Okay. Perseus.” Rodney lay back down on the blanket, head resting against Ronon’s. His hand traced out the constellation. “If you find Cassiopeia, you can find that one. The star cluster is supposed to represent Perseus holding his sword up over his head. Take it away, Colonel.”

Teyla shifted so her head was pillowed on John’s shoulder, freeing up his arm so he could gesture when he launched into the heroic story of Perseus, his flying horse, and the vengeful gods. He added dramatic sound effects, Teyla and Ronon asked questions, and Rodney periodically pointed out relevant constellations.

When – not if – they got Atlantis back to Pegasus, John wanted to do it all over again, only this time Teyla and Ronon could tell the stories of their stars for him and Rodney.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** The OT4 of this kind of snuck up on me. I honestly didn’t plan it. But I kind of like it and might have some amorphous plans for more. ::grins:: This is for the New Horizons challenge at You Should Be Writing, because I have never written more than a pairing, never mind a foursome.
> 
> The title is the name of the National Park that Team Sheppard is hanging out in.


End file.
